A cyclist looks out over the smoky mountains from a lookout point on Trail Ridge Road. For many local cyclists, this is the first time they’ve seen evidence of the huge fire since the tour started. On Friday, they head to Fort Collins on the last leg of the tour.

In 2012, I asked a former colleague whether he was interested in running the Chicago Marathon. Two weeks later, he asked if I was interested in Ride the Rockies. I got a road bike, got on the tour, and have yet to regret it. This will be my third RTR.

Daniel Petty is the digital director of sports for The Denver Post. He competed in track and cross country all four years inc college, but that was six years ago. Now, he's doing Ride the Rockies for the first time.